Self-locking cover for receptacles.



G. KINGSTEDT. SELF LOOKING oovmz FOR REGEPTAGLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1913.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

GILBERT KINGSTEDT, OF RAYMOND, MINNESOTA.

SELF-LOCKING COVER FOR RECEIPTACLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 24, 1913. Serial No. 763,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT KINosTED'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Raymond, in the county of Kandiyohi and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Locking Covers for Receptacles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a self-locking cover for receptacles, intended for general use, but especially adapted for use on egg-shipping cases.

To the above ends, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of an egg-shipping case having my invention incorporated therein, and showing the cover above the case; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the parts illustrated in Fig. 1, but with the cover locked on the case, some parts being broken away and some of the exposed parts being shown in section; and Fig. 3 is a detailed view in longitudinal section, taken on the line 00* m of Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates a rectangular wooden box having a flat wooden cover 2. Within the box 1 is a filler 3, adapting the same for use as an egg-shipping case. pair of reversely extended angle pieces 4 have their horizontal flanges 5 rigidly secured to the top longitudinal edge portions of the cover 2, and their vertical flanges 6 are turned downward, as best shown in Fig. 1. Reinforcing plates 7 are secured by rivets to the inner faces of the vertical flanges 6. The angle pieces 4 and reinforcing plates 7 are constructed from thin sheet metal. The vertical flanges 6 and reinforcing plates 7 completely cover the longitudinal vertical edges of the cover 2 and are of suflicient width to extend considerably therebelow and embrace the side of the box 1, when the cover 2 is secured thereto. Pressed from the longitudinal upper portion of each vertical flange 6 is a horizontally extended corrugation or hollow rib 8. Each vertical flange 6 is also pressed or bulged outward at 9, to afford a pair of vertically extended pockets 10, located near the vertical edges of the flanges 6, between the plates 7 and bulged portions 9. The lower ends of these pockets 10 are open, and their upper ends have communication with the hollow ribs 8.

Mounted in each pocket 10 is a vertically extended spring latch 11, intermediately pivoted to a short pin 12, extended transversely.

through said pocket and anchored, at its ends, in the plate 7 and bulged portion 9. The upper ends of each pair of latches 11 are yleldingly connected and drawn toward each other by a long coiled spring 13, mount Patented Jan. 13, 1914..

ed in the hollow rib 8. The free lower ends of the latches 11 extend below the pockets 10 and terminate in downwardly and inwardly beveled surfaces 1 1. In their longitudinal edges, just above the beveled surfaces 1 1, are formedlock notches 15.

Secured to each side of the box 1 are inner and outer plates 16 and 17, respectively, 111' flat engagement one with the other. These plates 16 and 17 are made from thin sheet metal,-and the outer plate 17 is longitudinally bent or folded, at its intermediate portion, to afford a horizontally extended hollow rib 18. Cut vertically through each rib 18 is a pair of open seats 19, each having extended horizontally therethrough a lock pin 20, anchored, at its ends, in the plate 16 and rib 18. The seats 19 are arranged to receive the depending ends of the latches 11 when the cover 2 is pressed down onto the box 1.

As the latches 11 enter the seats 19, their beveled edges 14: engage the lock pins 20 and are thereby c'amIned into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. At the limit of the downward movement of the cover, the notches 15 are directly opposite the lock pins 20 and are moved into interlocking engagement with said pins, under the action of the springs 13, thus locking the cover to the box.

When the cover 2 is locked onto the box 1, the extreme lower ends of the latch extend below the ribs 18, and aiford convenient means by which said latches may be moved into inoperative positions, to release the same from the lock pins 20, thus permitting the cover to be removed from the box.

Obviously, shipping cases provided with self locking covers constructed in accordance with my invention eliminate the necessity of nailing the covers to the cases, which soon destroys the covers and mutilates the cases so that they can no longer be used.

My improved method of securing the covers to' the cases also saves much time, especially where a large number of cases is handled.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a receptacle having side plates that are longitudinally folded to afford ribs having lock seats, of a removable cover for said receptacle having flanges arranged to embrace the sides of said receptacle, pockets formed in said flanges, and spring latches mounted in said pockets and having depending notched and beveled ends,

said latches being arranged to automatically interlock with the said seats when the cover is pressed onto said receptacle, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a receptaclehaving side plates that are longitudinally folded to afford ribs having lock seats, of a removable cover for said receptacle having flanges arranged to embrace the sides of said receptacle, said flanges being longitudinally folded to afford hollow ribs and having lateral bulges aflording pockets, vertically extended latches intermediately pivoted in said pockets, and coiled springs mounted in the hollow ribs of said flanges and yieldin-gly connecting the upper ends of said latches, said latches arranged to automatically interlock with said lock seats when the cover is pressed onto said receptacle,

substantially as described.

3. The combination with a receptacle having side plates that are longitudinally folded to afford ribs having lock seats, of a removable cover for said receptacle having flanges arranged to embrace the sides of said receptacle, said flanges being longitudinally folded to afford hollow ribs and having lateral bulges affording pockets, vertically extended latches intermediately pivoted in said pockets and having depending notched and beveled ends, and coiled springs mounted in the hollow ribs of said flanges and yieldingly connecting the upper ends of said latches, the beveled ends of said latches .arranged to engage said lock seats, when the cover is pressed onto said receptacle, and move said latches into positions permitting their lock notches to interlock with said seats,- the said beveled ends projecting through said lock seats when the cover is closed, affording means by which the latches may be moved out of interlocking engagement with the lock seats, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my'signature in presence of two witnesses.

GILBERT KIN GSTEDT.

Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latentl, Washington, D. 0. 

